The Secret Passage
Ceres's boots echo against damp stone as she descends the narrow tunnel beneath the western wing of the palace. She carries a lantern made of flame crystal, its glow casting flickers against the crumbling walls.
Ceres (murmuring to herself):
"This tunnel wasn't on any map. Not even Maera knew the path. So why would she send me here?"
A whisper of air brushes her cheek. The stones seem to pulse faintly as though remembering old secrets.
Ceres<
THE QUEEN IN THE UNDERGROUNDThe Secret PassageCeres's boots echo against damp stone as she descends the narrow tunnel beneath the western wing of the palace. She carries a lantern made of flame crystal, its glow casting flickers against the crumbling walls.Ceres (murmuring to herself): "This tunnel wasn't on any map. Not even Maera knew the path. So why would she send me here?"A whisper of air brushes her cheek. The stones seem to pulse faintly as though remembering old secrets.Ceres
WHAT WOLVES DO IN DARKNESSThe Fire That SpeaksAcross the realm. Fires flare to life from crumbling villages to distant strongholds—not from wood or oil, but from sigil-burned stones. Wolves pause as the flames dance, then shift into images. Arion's voice rises in every hearth, every campfire, every pyre.Arion (projected from flame, voice smooth, commanding):"Brothers. Sisters. Heirs of Ash. You were not born to kneel beneath crumbling thrones. You were forged for more."In the capital, Xavier, Ceres, and Maera stand before one such flame inside the war chamber. Councilmen and rebel generals gather behind them, gr
ASHES IN THE MIRRORThe Edge of SilenceA barren field of shattered stone and blackened roots. Snow falls in drifting silence across the ruins of an old battlefield in the Western Flats. The ghost of fire still lingers on the earth. Xavier walks alone, his shoulders heavy with the weight of the prophecy. Ashes rise like breath from the ground, disturbed by his steps. The sky above is a colorless dome, streaked by smoke-laced clouds.Xavier (muttering to himself): "I thought I'd buried you, Father. Along with your shadow. But you're still here, aren't you? In every warning. Every flame. Every damned vision."He kneels
THE RIVER OF TONGUESArrival at RivenmouthTwilight descends as Ceres and Xavier arrive at the edge of a narrow gorge hidden beneath the western cliffs. The wind howls eerily between jagged rocks, and the scent of sulfur hangs in the air. The Temple of Rivenmouth looms ahead, carved into the mountain's mouth like a beast frozen mid-roar. Between them and the temple lies a slow, glowing river—its current an unnatural hue, pulsing like blood beneath flame.Xavier (holding the reins of their horse as they dismount):"This place... it reeks of silence. Not peace—something older. Something forgotten."Ceres (steppin
THE GIRL WHO COULDN'T BURNWalking on FireThe morning after the Red Court attack. The grove is scorched, yet the tent holding Nya remains untouched. Ash clings to trees like snow. A circle of coal still smolders.Nya steps barefoot into the embers. Around her, wolves halt mid-task. Conversations die. Even Maera stops stirring her healing tinctures as the silence thickens.Ceres (gasping softly):"She's walking through fire... as if it doesn't see her."Maera (calmly, arms folded, watching with an unreadable expression):
THE RED COURT RETURNSSmoke on the HorizonDawn over Grayvale. The rebuilt watchtower stands tall above the outer walls of the capital. Ceres, cloaked in her Luna armor, scans the southern sky. Xavier steps beside her, his gaze locked on a rising red column in the distance.Xavier (jaw clenched, eyes narrowing):"That's not natural."Ceres (lowering her spyglass):"No. It's too narrow. Too deliberate. That's fire... guided by ritual."Xavier:"Solen Sanctuary lies